Arizona to improve mental health records for gun checks

A state commission says it will use a nearly $600,000 federal grant to improve records that Arizona submits to a national criminal databank so that they include mental health matters that affect a person’s ability to legally buy guns.

The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission says the federal databank is used to provide instant background checks for licensed firearms sellers so they can identify people prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Arizona commission says it applied for federal funding to establish a task force to improve the submissions of records on mental health adjudications or commitments so that missing or backlogged records are submitted promptly.